News Article

First Impressions: Super Mario 3D World

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how weird Mario games are. Think about it: A pudgy plumber in overalls who can jump ridiculously high, throw fireballs when he touches flowers, get huge when he eats mushrooms and make it with a princess provided he kicks the seven shades of crap out of a giant turtle dragon. That is the stuff of fever dreams, the kind of thing Hunter S. Thompson used to run from in his mind after a particularly long bender. Super Mario Bros.’s legacy is surreality, zaniness, the bizarre.

Super Mario Bros. has always been at its most essentially strange in the sequels, the second time out on a given platform or in a specific style. The sequels in this regard are Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, and Super Mario Sunshine. These alternately featured a dinosaur that could float using its potbelly, an evil twin that brainwashes people and can only be defeated with bunny ears, and a talking water jetpack. Pretty weird, right? Super Mario Bros. 2, though, is the undisputed King of weird. The most common boss in that game is a transgender dragon that spits eggs at you, and when you conquer it, you steal its crystal and climb through a giant falcon face. It’s beautiful and worrying at the same time.

Super Mario 3D World means to slide into this sequel legacy, and even invokes Super Mario Bros. 2 by letting you control four different characters. Luigi, Toad, and the man himself Mario are back, as is the sorely missed Princess Peach (or Toadstool, depending on your preference). Not only are they all here, but they can all play simultaneously in multiplayer — a first for the 3D Mario games. And thankfully, unlike in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, they all control differently. Peach floats, Toad is surprisingly speedy, Luigi can jump the highest, and Mario is Goldilocks approved — he's just right in every way.

Not all’s right in the Mushroom Kingdom, though. Indeed something is very, very wrong. Super Mario 3D World isn’t really that strange. In fact, it just looks and feels like every other Mario game released in the wake of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a recycled amalgam of art and scenes. At least in the demo levels shown, Super Mario 3D World is in desperate need of a dose of the old peculiar.

Maybe it’s just the Level 1-1 blues. Playing through the very first Super Mario 3D World level on display at E3 feels like watching a rerun. Here’s the same Mario character model, the same Peach and the same Luigi that we’ve been staring at in every game from Nintendo since 2006. The world is the same blend of yellow blocks and dirt against green pipes and grass as in 3D Land. There’s none of the visual experimentation that marked those aforementioned sequels, from the painterly wash of Yoshi’s Island to the Caribbean resort milieu of Sunshine.

The limited point of view style of Super Mario 3D Land is back in full force, though the camera’s pulled back to let all four characters run around and play together. The concern with 3D Mario multiplayer has always been that the players would lose sight of one another and be unable to keep up; they’d be falling into pits even worse than in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with no easy boundary on the screen to the right or left to float them in from. In 3D World, everyone stays together nicely, but it masks the fact that you never seem to be doing any truly complex platforming in the process. There is the new power up, of course. Bop a question block and out comes a golden bell which cloaks our heroes in an adorable kitty suit. They scamper on all fours and scratch at goombas, but it’s still too familiar, and not quite as shocking as a raccoon suit that turns you to stone. Now that was strange.

So the stages are a rush from the opening to a flag at the end. Old hat in a proven formula. Maybe there’s more to the levels that sit inside the finished game that’s waiting for all of us in December, but right now it seems from these first levels that it’s business as usual, with a little blast from the past in the form of selectable characters.

There is at least one moment that feels something like the warped and unhinged Mario of old. There’s one level where the whole crew hops on the back of a giant sea dinosaur and rides a rough river through the level. You have to jump over and up waterfalls, and there are even some tricky jumps to reach hidden paths where the level’s secret green stars are hidden (there are three in every level). It’s a bit like the manta ray rides from Super Mario Galaxy, but without the so-so motion controls mucking things up. The thing is, all four players have control of the dinosaur at the same time. The only way to get through is for everyone to cooperate or just let one person take the lead. Of course, that never happens, so the dinosaur spins about wildly like a water park ride gone mad, with everyone trying to follow their own path. It’s a blissful moment of chaos which reminds you of just how inventive Mario games can be.

Weirdness wasn’t the only thing that made old Mario games great, of course. It was also their unpredictability, the sense that anything could happen and likely would. The train of games since the sublime Super Mario Galaxy 2 have felt shockingly similar to one another, and it doesn’t help that they literally all look identical. Super Mario 3D World, for the most part, doesn’t feel like it's going to drastically change that, but it does have hints of being something more. Based on the short time we had with the game at E3 it's all looking rather safe right now, but we're hopeful that Nintendo will get its strange back before the game hits in December.

Finally someone on a NINTENDO site has called this out it's going to be fun but seriously the follow on from Galaxy 2 this aint they better be making a proper 3D game secrectly the problem is cause of this game its likely to come out in 2015 and not next year damnit NINTENDO i love you but sometimes you dont half make it hard.

This title gives me exactly what I've wanted from a 3D Mario title. A 3D platformer that plays as well as 2D one, Nintendo has even stated that there is a focus on speed running (which adds more weight to this). I'm pretty sure the genre defining next-gen Mario everyone was expecting is in development as well. But in the mean time if Nintendo can pull of the most refined 3D Mario to date (which looks likely) I'm all in even if it isn't completely original.

You guys are awfully negative. That was such a poor read. 2/3 of the whole story was negative, nothing positive, and the 1/3 that was positive, was just a description of the game. They have introduced new game mechanics, but you ignore them and just bash it on everything it doesn't have. You could do that with any game. Focus on the positives too. I'd like to see this rewritten.

I for one... Was not a fan of the Wii Mario Galaxies... This looks Much better and more exciting to me ... Looks like a mix of 2 of my All time favorite Mario games ... Super Mario Bros 2 & Mario 64 ... For someone with a fiancee the 4 player Co-Op is huge + ... She is so excited to play as Peach ..We can invite friends (couple) to play . The Dinosaur parts look Awsome... Can't wait to try out cat suit ... Get Over it Super Mario 3D World will be freaking Fantastic!!!!! Thanks Nintendo

3D Land was the one Mario game I didn't enjoy (besides Mario Pinball, but that is is different story). I hated the half bootied camera controls, either give the player full camera control or none, it really confused and irritated me. I'm all about trying before bashing but this title doesn't excite me, even with cat suits (and the adorable "Nyya" sound Mario makes). Let's not get started on the confusion this title has already caused by having 3D in the name and not being on the 3DS...

It really seems like a handheld game on a home console. That doesn't mean it can't be good but this is not the level of awesome that I expect from a 3D Mario platformer on home consoles. It'll sell but I hope the next 3D Wii U Mario is much better than this.

@The_Joker If you don't want to read the truth you should go elsewhere. These guys are Nintendo fans but they are objective (most of the time ), if they don't like something they say it and that's why this is a very good site.

If you just want to hear how awesome is everything you want, you are screwed.

In fact, I got the same feelings (although I haven't played it). This looks like an average Mario in every possible way, which is not good and seems to be the trend lately. Mario is expected to deliver perfect or near perfect games, good just doesn't cut it.

I'll get it and probably enjoy it, but I'm losing my faith.NSMB2 was a total letdown and 3D Land was good but not enough. It feels like they are being rushed to save their platforms, which is in fact the truth.

"Nintendo is also in a terrible position at E3, for a roughly similar reason: Everyone who loves Nintendo think they know what’s best for Nintendo, and they get frustrated very easily. If Nintendo does something radically new and different and weird — motion gaming with the Wii, the tablet control of the Wii U — people complain that Nintendo is violating its legacy of great old-school gameplay. If Nintendo shrugs and says, fine, here’s a brand-new Mario game or a brand-new Zelda sequel, people complain that Nintendo is resting on its laurels and violating its legacy of pushing the boundaries of gameplay."

Fortunately the writers here aren't fanboys who just eat up anything Nintendo does, they call it as they see it and this is disappointing. I'm fan of the Mario games and was hoping this would make me want to buy a Wii U, but it misses the mark big time.

@iMii I liked the Wii a lot and I really like WiiU's tablet but it is disturbing that Nintendo hasn't showed or explain how the new games will use the gamepad in a truly innovative way. It seems like they thought it would grant the same possibilities as the DS and 3DS' double screens but they found out it doesn't because it's not as comfortable to look at two totally separate screens.

It's not that this looks bad. It's just that I expected more than an expanded 3D Land.

3D Land is a decent game, but it is way, way, way overrated. I probably had more fun with NSMB2 that I did with Land, and thought the strict linear map didn't really fit a 3D Mario game well.

If this game manages to avoid 3D Land's pitfalls, it will undoubtedly be memorable. But given that it seems to be strictly divided in stages (and with a focus on speed runs, no less), I'm not holding my breath.

1. This game will be amazing. Keep in mind, a lot of the really unique and challenging and weird stuff starts going on in later levels in Mario titles. Don't assume that it's all the same old same old just based on the first level.

2. I firmly believe that Super Mario Universe is indeed coming. Perhaps in 2015. I think that Nintendo knows that they need another insanely unique and new Mario title for the Wii U. Even though 3D World looks great, it's probably not the pinnacle of what Mario can be on the Wii U.

Just as an aside, I also predict a New Super Mario Bros. U 2 coming out for next Christmas.

This article makes me hope even more that this is just here to fill the 3D Mario fix while they work on the successor to Galaxy. On a more positive note, I'm sure this will be fun. Looking forward to finally playing as Toad again for the first time in nearly 20 years!

I was completely underwhelmed by the video. I literally have no excitement for this game. And that makes me incredibly sad. Nintendo seems to be focusing on accessibility and familiarity more than creativity as of late. I just have to hope that this game was just churned out to get some sales, and that the real Mario game is coming later. (But the problem with that is that I felt the exact same way about NSMBU.)

I think it looks great and its a return to the mushroom kingdom I'm a 3D Mario on a console. The last one was Mario 64. Since then we have gone on vacation, and to space twice. I'm glad to be back! Not only that but with the frantic speed, it adds another element that has been missing in 3D Mario's. Mario has always been a fast game, not an exploring type of game we have seen in 3D Mario's. Add the multiplayer and pretty excited.

People need to stop complaining and be thankful for what they're getting. It's not Mario Galaxy 3. Get over it. Super Mario 3D Land is an excellent game; better than any of the New Super Mario Bros. games, and unique and distinct from the Galaxy games. The game felt like what Super Mario World would be like if it was played in a 3D space as each level was its own self-contained obstacle course, just like in that SNES classic.

This new game is going to be excellent. I'm sure Mario Galaxy 3 will be released sometime in the future, but you know what? I wouldn't be surprised if Mario 3D World ended up being the one that sold better in the end. Compare the Galaxy 2 sales with those of 3D Land.

Some people are just never happy. For months they have been crying that there's no first party software coming, then that software gets announced and they still aren't happy.

@DarkCoolEdge
You sort of forget the Wii U has a gamepad while watching these new trailers.. I think this game could easily be a Wii game except it wouldn't be in HD. Hopefully they come out with a way to use the gamepad for these games that'll really turn some heads.

I think it will be fun, but Mario Party is also fun. Nintendo promised their hardcore fans that Wii U would be for them, but right now they still seem to be focusing pretty hard on that casual market. I will buy this one day, but this doesn't make me want to buy a Wii U now.

And we don't have to be happy with what we're given. We're the customers, Nintendo has to impress us. Our happiness isn't just a by-product of them making games for themselves.

I'm pretty certain this game started out on 3DS, but Nintendo panicked when they saw Wii U sales fall of a cliff at the start of 2013, so switched it.

@Peach64Its looking like 2013 is the year for the casuals as Nintendo attempts to get their install base up. Then 2014 will be the year for the "hardcore" stuff since those games dont sell as well. Which would make sense because it gives those games a chance at having better numbers.

I'm sorry but it's Mario, it's going to be good and it's going to be fun. I've been playing games since my C64 & I always look forward to and enjoy Mario & I fully believe I always will. Just makes me smile!

@DarkCoolEdge The truth should contain BOTH positive and negative views, also, the article is pretty much just an opinion, not truth at all.

@Gamer83 You think I'm a fanboy? Whether this game is good or bad, is just based on perspective. If we had another Super Mario Galaxy, it would be just like the others, thus it could also be called "repetitive" and "disappointing" you aren't thinking clearly.

@Peach64 I agree with you. The game looks like a ton of fun and I personally loved 3D Land and will probably get this day one. But it does look like it started on 3DS as the sequel to 3D Land and was swapped... Mario in HD looks fine and all... but compared to Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros. or Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, 3D World does not look like its HD at all....

Here's a little thought for all of you. Originality is created by building on something, thus nothing is truly original or new, it may be new to you, but it's not original. That's how the brain works, you build on information you already know.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was neither of those things and there's no reason to believe SMG 3 would be. I'm thinking perfectly clearly, I didn't want Super Mario 3D Land HD and appraently I'm not the only one who feels that way. I also never said the game was bad, in fact, I expect it to be very good, but I can't help shake the feeling Nintendo could've done much more given the hardware it's working with.

@X-Factor
It's safe to assume that "Super Mario 3D Land" was named that because it was playable in 3D. Why did they need to name this game "Super Mario 3D World"? They couldn't have just called it "Super Mario World" because that's already been done. Adding the "3D" in there based on the 3D environments is just silly. They might as well have done that for all of their other games. "Super Mario 64 3D", "Super Mario 3D Galaxy", etc, etc. I think it's time for them to come up with new names instead of adding "3D" and "New" in front and in between everything.

This is just a recycled, somewhat improved 3D Land in HD!!!! I'm still waiting for a true sequel to Mario 64! With their experience and new tech Nintendo is very able to make an extremely epic Super Mario 64 sequel but instead they keep producing these lazy, casual, easy and extremely limited games. I will not buy a Wii U until I see a TRUE 3D mario that doesnt rely on gimmicks, has ALL the power ups, allows tripple jumps and all moves from 64. allows you to ROTATE the camera at will and has light exploration with non linear levels! Nintendo really needs to drop 'New' Super Mario Bros and also come up with an epic 2D Mario as well... It seems like they only care to have good sales and anything with Mario on the cover will sell to the casual crowd and little kids but not to the supposed hard-core crowd they said Wii U was meant for. So far, all I see are lazy 3Ds/DS Mario Games being imrpoved for Wii U and nothing truly original and superior to 64 or Super Mario World!!!

@Kirk May I ask where i can find the character selection screen for Mario Kart 8? When I search it on google all I get is a bunch of fanmade stuff and that doens't do me any good. Kind of like searching for Smash Bros.

Well, at the end of the day it is about the bottomline if you're running a business so I understand Nintendo's decision making. I think they could appease both crowds though. The way I looked at it on Wii was they had Galaxy and Galaxy 2 for the more 'hardcore' audience but then offered up something for everybody in NSMBW. I wouldn't put it past Nintendo that this is just filler, something to get the console out to as many people as possible and they'll stun us with a successor to the Galaxy games. I just wish it was happening sooner rather than later. I agree with those who say the somewhat disappointing early sales for Wii U itself play a factor in this.

Lets not forget that there's quite a bit of this game we havent seen. There's probably some cool stuff in it. But yes, i'm still disappointed we arent getting a true followup to mario 64 or the galaxy games. I'm not a fan of the New Mario games, and while I liked 3D Land, i think that style of level design should stick to portable mario. 3D mario games are supposed to be innovative and show off the hardware they are on, but this one just looks like they played it safe to make a quick buck. For a company that prides itself on 'making something unique,' it sure has been pumping out a lot of the same lately. Again, i'm sure 3D world will be fun, but i think most people wanted the innovative kind of fun, not the drawing from nostalgia kind.

I apologise for repeating myself as I have said similar on other posts but really is that all Nintendo has to show for the future - re-hashing of games we already had on all the other Nintendo Consoles releases. Are we to expect the same lack luster for Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros and Donkey Kong Country on Wii U. I was hoping, and by reading these posts, as other people were to see something different and new for the 'Flagship Figurehead' Nintendo game and character. A true follow on to Mario 64 or a Mario Galaxy evolution.

I know it has four player multiplay, however as a middle aged man with a young family multiplayer doesn't sell the game for me as Im the only gamer in my household. So multiplayer would have to be online and not local for me to benifit.Maybe the 3D in the title means that if you have a 3D TV you can play this in 3D?? I heard the WiiU is capable of playing games in 3D (Im happy to be corrected by those who know the Wii U tech inside out)

Surely people aren't that mad to part with their hard earned cash for a HD upgrade of a game they have played over the last 3 consoles! Are they??

I've spent a lot of Internet time defending Nintendo against haters who call the company lazy, but I really have no more ammunition for my arguments. What was the last fresh idea this company produced?

I wouldn't underestimate the weirdness of an upcoming Mario game. Sure, this game appears to look familiar, but the simple fact that Peach is playable suggests something weird going on. Bowser might actually have an interesting scheme this time after finally being fed-up with kidnapping Peach for the hundredth time, if he's even the villain of the game. I say we should just wait and see.

Besides, after seeing the game in person, it looks awesome and fun. Everyone that played it at Best Buy I saw had a blast.

Super Mario 3D Land is among my favorite Mario games of all time; so although I was disappointed that the new 3D Mario wasn't going in a new direction, I'm more than happy it's a new iteration of a 3DS stunner. Does Nintendo Life forget their own 9/10 rating for 3D Land?

I understand the concern in which Nintendo is playing it safe with their games this fall. I would love to see Nintendo drop at least 3 new i.p.'s (built from the ground up for Wii U) over the next couple of years. But the reality is, Nintendo has a wealth of i.p,'s to recreate, and they'll most likely make a new Starfox or F-Zero before they make an all new i.p.

People are snowballing the disappointment more than this game deserves. There's little touches all over this game that make it just as clever in gameplay as anyone's idea of "next-gen mario" that I've heard.

@Anthony John Agnello Just a correction here, you can change how the camera works. Watch the developer interview video on the Wii U Eshop, the director says you can switch over to classic 3D Mario mode in singleplayer.. The zoomed out 3D Land static camera was only in the game to facilitate multiplayer, but you can change it back to dynamic zoomed in chase camera mode that made 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy games ace.

@Buzzthebatgirl Well you are in luck the director of the game said you can change the camera to that of classic 3D Mario (64/Sunshine/Galaxy). Full control of the camera is in the game.. go watch the interview in the Wii U Eshop, it shows it briefly in a follow Mario cam (maybe 3 to 5 seconds of the video)

You can still move the camera around. Don't know exactly how much freedom there is or if you can do so with the stick as well as tilt but it's not like the view is completely fixed to only one angle.

Personally, I'd actually it were even less "3D", in that I'd still keep all the 3D graphics but move the camera to a more locked side-on 2D perspective like the classic and imo still superior playing 2D Super Mario platform games.

I don't get the hate... EAD Tokyo went in this direction because the two most requested features they have gotten from fans over the course of 20 years of 3D Mario games is:
1. Let us select more characters
2. Lets have multiplayer coop

Nintendo delivers on both of those things and people are complaining. Un-F$@%^ing. Real.

We already have Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, we don't need 3 so soon. Lets check out something new please, and this looks like it will scratch that itch.

The only two things I'm hoping this game has is orchestrated music again, and what hasn't been mentioned yet is we want TONS AND TONS of levels.. MORE THAN GALAXY!! .. And if they deliver on 150 or so levels in the final game, I wouldn't complain if they wanted sell me level packs of 50 in the form of dlc. Replayability is why I always buy only Nintendo consoles to compliment my PC.... that and their creativness, and their commitment to deliver 60fps gaming, and their innovation in control schemes, and .. you get the picture.

I agree with this 100%! Starting with NSMB.Wii, I felt that the Super maria games had lost their edge. Galaxy 2 was great, but even that game would've benefited from more interesting game-play mechanics.

That said, I know Mario sells systems, but perhaps if Nintendo held off on milking the Mario platformer genre, and instead focused on other series, like, oh say Star Fox or F-Zero, there would be a stronger love for future entries in the Mario platformer series.

In short, I think that the Zelda and Metroid IPs have been doing a good job, spacing out their titles, and maybe Nintendo should do the same for Mario platformers.

"it just doesn't have an over the shoulder or behind the character camera view for the most part."

@Kirk actually it does have classic 3D Mario camera views while in singleplayer.. Why does everyone keep saying its locked to the 3D Land camera? Am I the only one who watched the developer interviews on the eshop?? Btw the game looks gorgeous in person. I recommend going to best buy and watch people play it if you can't get in line.

As in you can actually move the view around but most of the time it's actually a more side-on perspective view. Even in single player. I think you're interpreting the video slightly wrong. Yes, you can move the camera around in single player but it definitely looks like the default view will be the more Super Mario 3D Land one most of the time.

Personally, I actually think the current solution is actually much better than the more over-the-shoulder third person 3D view they had the majority of the time the Galaxy games.

It's better suited to slightly more reaction and skill based jumping and platforming gameplay imo.

Although, if it were up to me I'd actually just go for the full 2.5D locked side-on viewpoint like we have in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

I think that would be the best solution for the more classic precision based platforming of the best 2D Mario platform games, which none of the more 3D games are perfectly suited to, while still having the stunning 3D graphics of this latest Super Mario 3D World.

Honestly I don't really understand all the negativity. There's still much too little we know about this game aside from the few levels we've seen. For one, what's the story? (Peach isn't kidnapped this time) Two, this 3D Mario will most likely follow suit and have an interesting hub world; and if what Nintendo said is correct "A mario game that you've never seen before" there's a chance that both the hub world and story will surprise us. Now I could be wrong but considering that this game has an un-kidnapped princess, and "World" in the game's title, we're in for a ride.

Anyway, this game is going to score huge with the core Mario market: families. 3D Land was the most playable 3D Mario yet. Taking that formula, adding multiplayer, and increasing the size of the levels is a stroke of genius. You guys may not be pleased, but there won't be a Wii U owning family that won't appreciate 3D World's utility.

As for Galaxy 3... I would like Nintendo to really push the creative boundaries. Galaxy 2 was mediocre and, from many casual gamers I've talked to, soured the Galaxy franchise. Let them take their time to do something amazing like the original. This will be the perfect (multiplayer) salve until then.

This looks as tight and fun as the other 3D marios but I'm still concerned about the stubbornness with old character and object models. Isn't it time to update some of the visuals at least a little? I keep thinking they'll hold on to the art style and finally update the graphics to add some detail and physics properties to the environments. Maybe in the manner of like Ratchet and Clank; Just a little more flourish in the visuals. Would there really be that much of an outcry if it wasn't all just colored orbs and cubes? Seems like it's getting borderline lazy to me, and the last few games have started to feel stale visually. 3Dland was fun but got boring fast because it looks identical to the rest. Don't get me wrong, Mario 64 set the standard for 3d platformers and it's been tightened and perfected with each new sequel, but I thought for sure an HD Nintendo was going to give us a brand new standard to really step it up and remind us why we should always have a Nintendo just for mario; this still doesn't look like that.

I don't get people who keep saying they need to update the graphics. Mario has never looked so smooth! Everything in this game does! Theres not a single jagged bump in the character models or a single blurriness or pixelation in any of the textures. It's perfection!

@Yoshi3DS They already started this pattern a long time ago with the original Super Mario Land> Super Mario World> Super Mario Galaxy> and then the Super Mario UNIVERSE that we were all expecting this to be.

Super Mario Galaxy is already 3D, so I don't think this new "3D series" has any reason to continue. They must be making Super Mario Universe... until then, I'll gladly play Super Mario 3D World.

I for one am glad this is not Mario Galaxy 3 ... that would be unoriginal ... Super Mario 3D World looks Terrific , I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!! Once again I feel this game is a cross between Super Mario Bros. 2 & Mario 64 ... 2 of the best games in the Mario Franchise ... 4 player Co-Op will totally change the way you play and enjoy the game... I truly believe all Nintendo & Mario Fans will Have a Blast with Super Mario 3D World !!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, what's there looks really good but I was thinking that if they really went for it 100% they'd have actually put full 3D detailed backgrounds in there too, that went off into the distance, so it looked like you were in full levels inside sprawling worlds rather than little assault courses mostly floating in what are basically voids (with at most the odd cloud, hill or block here and there).

It might seem like a waste of time and resources to some people but I genuinely think that one little addition would have made a major difference in how people perceive the visuals in this game and how impressed, indeed blown away, we all ultimately would have been with them.

Look at how the levels in a game like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze actually look like they are part of a much bigger area and world that stretches far beyond just the little path you can actually navigate as the player...

That sense of real depth and scale of the world really adds a lot to how impressive and immerse the world feels imo and it just makes everything have a deeper and more satisfying impact as a result.

The problem with the current version of Super Mario 3D World is that the "world" feels small (more like Super Mario 3D Courses) whereas in the best Mario games, even the full-on 2D ones, you still get a sense that each level is inside a much bigger world that spreads out much further than just the part of the level you can currently view.

I don't just mean the map either (which once again had that kind of limited sense in the recent New Super Mario Bros games but not in SMB3 or SMW imo). I mean the actual sense of the levels themselves stretching beyond just the view within the boundaries of the screen or the actual play area.

The way you put it, it seems like this game may fail. You are right, I have forgotten how weird Mario really is, ROFL. A fat plumber who can jump surprisingly high and throw balls made outta nothing but fire, HA! This game does seem to be Not-wierd, makes since, and little cooperation among the players. I am starting to get my disappointment, back...

The visuals remind me of the NSMB series, generic and uninspired. This game will be fun, but it will definitely not be the HD 3D Mario I and many others have been waiting for. 3D Mario games have always delivered an amazing 3D action experience for core gamers. This looks like it is geared towards the casual market to increase sales of the Wii U. I'm sure it will be a blast to play, but I hope to God Nintendo will be making a true core 3D Mario game with innovative gameplay and gorgeous visuals. I don't want another Galaxy game to be honest. I just want another 3D Mario that wows me like Mario 64, Sunshine and the Galaxy games did.

I'm pretty sure Nintendo are going to give Super Mario Sunshine and F Zero GX the HD treatment with a few tweaks here and there soon.Zelda will not be the last HD remake.I'm drunk so I have no real point.Happy gaming.

@The_Joker Couldn't agree more! What a bunch of jaded bs. Not strange enough? Whatever. After watching the trailer in HD, I'm really exited. Four players that control differently, new power ups, and what's sure to be a blast in single and multiplayer. It would be nice to hear some impressions from someone a little more enthusiastic.

@Reploid The reason why Super Mario 64 was named that because the Nintendo 64 was about "3D" gameplay. That's the reason why they named it Super Mario 64 that. Super Mario Galaxy was named that because he's not in his world. Super Mario 3D World name makes a lot of sense. They can't use 'galaxy' because he's not in space, and they can't use '64' because its on Nintendo 64. Period.

Those in and of themselves are at least as good as and imo generally more impressive the any Galaxy game in terms of pure geometry and poly count, texture quality and resolution, overall polish and presentation etc. They really are.

It's the size and scope of the levels as we perceive them that is now the problem imo.

If Nintendo had simply created some proper level geometry they went off into the far distance of each level, so it didn't look and feel like they were all just assault courses basically floating in voids, then I'm pretty sure every single one of us would have been blown away.

Note: They also can't just cheat and make it look like the level parts are floating above a much bigger world that they aren't really connected to, unless you're supposed to be on a floating cloud level or something, but actually have to make it look like the levels themselves are genuinely massive but you as the player are only getting to run/play through a particular section of that huge land [world] visible beyond the current play area.

Think of how Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze achieves the same basic idea in fully 2.5D and you'll get what I'm hinting at.

The actual quality of art and design in the game is of the highest order imo. That' s not the problem here.

It just needs a much grander scale to awe us. Even if that sense of scale is achieved by simply making it look like these levels and the world itself stretches out for miles and miles into the distance and even if we're only ever playing in a small part of them.

Someone at Nintendo admitted that both games were loosely a part of one project. I read it in one of the interviews. Seems like there's a lot of that these days — Mario Kart 7 and 8, the DKCR games. Save work and design two games at once.

@X-FactorArg, I wasn't saying they should name it Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy. I was saying that since those games obviously had 3D worlds, environments and gameplay, they didn't need the "3D" in the title.

Yea the 3D in the title is a bit odd. 3D Mario games have been around since 1996. It's not like this is anything new here. I understand the 3D in 3D Land because it's on the 3DS. Nintendo does choose odd unimaginative titles sometimes. Yoshi's New Island anyone? I guess they just wanted to make sure people know this is a sequel to 3D Land.

No, it's the World part they're actually playing on here. The 3D moniker is just an easy way to use the Super Mario World title again but not actually use the exact same title as it were.

In New Super Mario Bros it's Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario 3D Land it's Super Mario Land.

In Super Mario 3D World it's Super Mario World.

In Yoshi's New Island it's Yoshi's Island.

In Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds it's Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (hence it originally being title A Link to the Past 2).

They are basically pulling on our nostalgia buttons.

They're using the fact that we love those absolute classics to slightly manipulate us into being more interested in these new games right off the bat even though very few if any of them come close to the originals.

Super Mario 3D World does however look really good imo despite also cheating a little with the title.

Personally I would have went a tiny bit further and made the order red, yellow, green, blue, pink, just because that's the order the colors appear in the light spectrum so I just think it would look more "correct" as it were. I also wouldn't have had the cheesy cat's tail this time because I don't think it's needed with the cool little paw in place of the O. That extra tail just feels like a bit unnecessary and desperate.

I'm sure this will play wonderfully, as most Mario games do, but it's so devoid of originality as to be pretty unexciting.

Also it's interesting to see just how dramatically prettier Mario Kart is. It's not just that Mario Kart is light mapped with some nice GI and Mario 3D world is realtime lit, even the amount of geo on screen is far higher in Mario Kart. Both are 60fps too, and Mario Kart is even 60 in split screen mode.

this game looks great. super fun. i am excited.but am i the only one that was expecting something else?something more along the lines of mario 64/sunshine/galaxy 1and 2?i'm not disappointed but, maybe a little let down

I really do think people are judging how "unoriginal" this game is far too early.

There's literally tens of levels you haven't seen yet.

Who knows how many cool creative gameplay ideas they've got up there sleeves or just how good and original some of those other levels are going to get.

There's stuff you can fairly judge now that's fair imo, like how impressive you think the visuals are in general (although even then later levels can still get even better potentially), but there's stuff you're judging now that just makes you look slightly ignorant, easily led by the crowd and quick to jump to conclusions imo.

I noticed flames, torches and fireballs created a glow on the surrounding scenery in realtime for example.

All the objects have proper realtime dynamic shadows as opposed to the terrible circle shadows that so many Wii games suffered from.

The world in general looks to be nicely lit and at this point it's pretty much impossible to tell if that being done dynamically or if it's pre-baked but in a game like this in most cases it's really not important if the overall world lighting and shadows are realtime or not because nothing is really affect the overall lighting in realtime anyway.

So, how exactly is the lighting in the game weak...?

Also, prey tell...what the hell is "AO, GI, and bounce" and how does not having this make a big difference in this particular game?

Wow. These comment sections, are just depressing. It's like Super Mario Sunshine. There's so much I want to say, where do I begin:

First off, to you fans, how can some of you be so pessimistic? I bet a lot of you guys were expecting some enormous scale game like Super Mario 64. I was too and was disappointed when I saw this game....for 3 minutes. Then after the realization, I looked again and saw game that can have its own charm. You say Nintendo disappointed you? Well the fault goes to you, not them. They never promised a massive scale. They promised a 3D Mario. I am beginning to see what Reggie means when he says that there's no pleasing Nintendo fans. "I want more of this" "Why didn't they do that" "This is too similar" "This is too different" JUST CAN IT! You're all spoiled. Nintendo has spoiled us. We Nintendo fans have become impossible to please because we set our expectations way too high. An open world game would have been cool. But where did it say that Nintendo was gonna do that, or SHOULD? Our bad habits of over-hyping ourselves and creating false expectations has ruined our integrity as a fanbase. You "fans" can be so ungrateful and snappy. Criticism is one thing, but this incessant whining is absurd. I bet the true appreciative fans have left these forums ages ago and I can't blame them. Do any of you know what it's like developing a game? We are no position to complain like this. If anything we should be most supportive of Nintendo's unique direction. We should expect the unexpected. Be prepared not to get what we expect. All we should expect is the game and franchise. We shouldn't expect what it will be like, especially if Nintendo doesn't make any promises. Disappointment in the The Wind Waker GCN reveal after the dark Zelda demo is understandable (all the hate was still unjustified though) but this is something else. We were never in any position to expect anything.

As for this game, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. Oh, so because it's linear unlike 64 and isn't mindblowing as Galaxy, that means it sucks. Are you all really that cold? I was disappointed when I first saw this. But then I watched the trailer again, and magic began to reach me. The charming music that Nintendo uses to bring smiles is as great as every. The enemies are quirky and pesky as ever. The level design is good. It's vibrant and cheery. And for a successor to 3D Land, it's much more open if you ask me. Just because it wasn't the large scale game you all wanted doesn't mean it won't be fun.

Now to all you clowns, saying there's nothing new and nothing but nostalgia. Let's step back and really look at this game. Do you have any idea how truly unique this game is? Yes there's nostalgia. But this time it's implemented in the way it should, adding to the game, not fueling it. We have the color blocks. Goal posts. Characters with unique abilities. But as for that one, when was the last time Nintendo did that? SMB2 (USA)...from the NINETIES! I have personally been hoping for them to revisit this concept, and they've done so beautifully! It has a completely new soundtrack. It has new level varieties. I mean on rails dinosaur riding? AWESOME. Skates? Yes! And this is the first game since Super Mario Galaxy 2 to have completely new bosses! There were no koopalings, Bowser Jr, Boomer, or anyone like that. A 6 headed snake monster. Yeah I want to take that on! It will also have a completely new story. Why? Because Peach isn't getting kidnapped, which brings me to my next point. This game...WILL HAVE 4 PLAYER 3D CO OP for GOD SAKES! HOW AWESOME IS THAT? WHEN HAS THAT EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE? Four people. Being able to cooperate in a 3D field with unique characteristics. This huge idea with potential. Families will love it!

Then there's the games trademark powerup, the Cat Suit. OMG. That is, AWESOME! Look at all the stuff it can do. We can run faster, double jump, divebomb enemies, scratch, and cheat our way up goal posts. But coolest of all, we can CLIMB FREAKING WALLS! That will allow even linear games like this to take a whole new perspective! The Japanese will especially love Cats. I can tell you I am more than pumped.

On last point. We have only seen 1 trailer, and some demos. That's it. We have NO IDEA how big in scope this game could be. It could be a 3D Super Mario World that holds a plethora of levels. A one way adventure style that goes back to the 3D platformer setup of 6th gen. Collectathons are nice, but that is just as cool. I can understand it wasn't the mindblowing epitome of HD design you all were hoping for, but does that mean it won't be an amazing experience of it's own right. Everyone I spoke to that tried it loved it. You all should give it the chance it deserves and not right it off so quickly. If Nintendo's success was determined by its core fans' opinions, the Wii should have been a commercial failure and it wasn't. Just cause this awesome looking game didn't meet your UNRIGHTFULLY OVERBLOWN expectations doesn't mean the mass audience will feel the same.

I know what I said probably won't change a lot of your stuck up minds but I am speaking out anyway against all you ungrateful "fans". Alright, I've let the pen do its work. Come at me haters...

@Kirk The lighting has no bounce, ambient occlusion, and no global illumination. It also has simple projected shadows with no penumbra. This is typical of realtime lighting on current gen hardware.

Mario Kart on Wii uses lightmaps to achieve those effects, albeit at the expense of precalculated light maps. The difference should be really easy to see - the lighting in Mario 3D looks flat and simplistic. Areas are either fully lit or in shadow, and when they're in shadow, they have no directionality at all. In Mario Kart, even shadowed areas look interesting due to the bounce and AO. With GI, it gives everything a cohesive look.

For next gen realtime lighting, look at a game like Ubi's The Division.

Yes but the point is that this kind of advanced lighting and stuff is really only needed and indeed going to be fully appreciated in certain games.

There's no real benefit of having bounce, ambient occlusion or global illumination in this game if there's nothing to really show it off.

You're moaning about effects that really wouldn't be very noticeable in this particular game, as much as I love the idea of all that stuff in general. This game doesn't look bad in any way, shape or form as a result of lacking any of those effects imo.

I mean Mario Kart 8 looks stunning but the only lighting effect that really stands out and is obvious is the self-shadowing.

I'm all for amazing lighting and shadowing but there's games where it would make a huge difference and games where adding it in would just be for the sake of giving geeks and nerds something to talk about.

This game looks really good from what I'm looking at in terms of artistry, presentation and the graphics in general.

Don't get me wrong...

I'd absolutely love them to include all those effects if they can easily add them, Mario Kart looks amazing for it, but what I'd like them to concentrate on more in this game than adding a couple of mostly meaningless lighting effects, only us geeks really appreciate them, is maybe actually creating much more geometry in the backgrounds of the levels so it looks less like we're playing on little assault courses floating in some random mostly empty spaces and instead so it looks like these levels are actually full areas and worlds.

Now that would have a much bigger impact on how impressive these levels looked and how immersive they were and that would blow more people away than some shadows with penumbras.

Actually, I get the vibe of the older Crash Bandicoot games from this. Not as zany, but from what I hear this game is focused on speed running and a mix between 2D and 3D - which is pretty similar to Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3 - and that's a good thing in my mind since I love those games. I hope that going fast rewards the player the same way as them. While I enjoyed it in 3D Land, I didn't really feel like I was given anything extra from doing it and that made me move onto other games...

The game already has easily good enough lighting to satisfy the vast majority of people (not saying it can't get even better).

What you're talking about is geek lighting though.

There's a bare minimum required to not look crappy. Like not having circles for shadows for example. Not having blurry flicking edges on shadows. Not having light sources like flames and fire have any lighting effect on the nearby scenery...But at the other extreme there's lighting that only geeks are really going to notice and/or appreciate.

This game looks perfectly good in terms of lighting already.

Sure, they can go even further in that area but like I said, I think there's more important things in the overall look and feel of this game that they need to addressing before they worry about adding even more advanced lighting effects.

People aren't sitting there saying they're not blown away because the game lacks some of these lighting effects you'd like to see.

They're not being blown away for much more obvious reasons.

Things like levels look like little assault courses basically floating in the middle of nothing, so they lack any genuine sense of scale and awe.

I'd certainly address that kind of stuff before I'd worry about turning on ambient occlusion for example.

One thing that concerns me is if Nintendo is really giving enough thought to the single player campain. For instance, worlds need to have at least a few secret exits to allow hidden worlds or even warps in the game. New Super Mario Brothers U did a good job in this regard. Peach, Luigi, and Toad all have special abilities that could make a particular exit, path, or bonus item only accessible to specific characters, so I hope Nintendo utilizes their unique abilities. 3D Land was a good game, but overall was far too linear, with no secret exits and worlds felt like obstacle courses rather than giant playgrounds like in M64 and Sunshine. I don't think Nintendo will ever top the Galaxy games, and I still long for a return to free-world exploration in 3D.

Trying to escape form a swarm of fuzziesDid we have these features in previous 3D Mario games? I don't think so.People are complaining about this game being a rehash? What about Super Mario Galaxy 2? Wasn't that a rehash? Yes it was. There wasn't anything new in that game besides Yoshi. There's more new in this game than there is in Mario Galaxy 2.

This is how I feel about this game at the moment as well. Additionally, what I believe was the only real weakness of the Galaxy games was how linear they were. From what I've seen of 3D World, that will be even more the case here. Fixed camera? Pfff

After watching more gameplay videos of 3D World, it looks like there will be parts of the game where the camera is fixed and then other parts where the camera follows behind you like previous 3D Mario games. I could be wrong though.

This game gives you free control over the camera if you choose. It was confirmed and even exhibited in the developer direct. It may only be available in singleplayer but it's inclusion should not be a concern. Be careful not to rush to judgement with a lack of info.

I was not interested at all in this game because i wanted a new galaxy game but when i played it today at nintendo world i was blown away. Its looks beautiful and amazing. Just as pretty as a galaxy game u have to play it in HD to understand it so cool

To any doubters who actually read this far down the page...After playing the first two demo levels at best buy, I can assure everyone that it is a high quality game, fun, and a proper 3D Mario title. (It's stupid to call this game not proper.)

If it's not broke, don't fix it. The 4-player simultaneous mode is enough for me to make this fresh and interesting. If you take a look back at New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you'll see a game that at first glance looks exactly like every other 2D Mario game ever, with the exception that you can play with 3 friends at the same time. However, that one small change makes a world of difference, and I think it will happen again here.

In any case, the game has a good long while until release and am I absolutely confident in Nintendo's ability to add some surprises and polish the game to perfection by then. After all, when is the last time they released a mainstream Mario title that you could truly call "bad"?

To those who have played this game at best buy, were you able to control the camera at all times when playing single player? or was it simply a means to look around while standing still? the gameplay videos I have seen make it look like the camera is fixed in some areas of a level.

I just wish Nintendo would change the character models, how's about going for an old school disney approach with overexagerrated gummy arms, or making eveything out of clay? hell just anything different than the same exact squeeky clean, plain cg pixar models that debuted back in the mid 2000's...

The worlds look awfully familar, and painfully unimaginitive...But ultimately, it still looks like a blast. Hopefully this is just a an appetizer, and the next 3D Mario will be something completely out of the ordinary, because really...Mario has hit dark times. One of the reasons why i love SMB2 so much is that it's so bloody bizzare. Mario's been completely ordinary for how many years now?

This game is exactly what I wanted in a Mario game, and I really love that Cat suit, and the return of the frog suit! Basicly Nintendo did everything I wanted them too this year, which is pretty shocking. Hopefully, next year I see a first person Metroid, Metroid M was ok, but the Prime series was better.

Wow, the Sony and Microsoft fans were right...Nintendo fans ARE the worst.

Seriously, people! Someone else said this...we were never promised a fresh new game. We were never promised a game so massive as Galaxy. We were never promised an open-world game. We were promised a 3D Mario, and this is a 3D Mario. Like everyone, I was slightly disappointed at first...and then this game grew on me!

And seriously, people! You do realize that we are still VERY early in the Wii U's life cycle! No one said that this would be the ONLY 3D Mario the Wii U gets. There's always the possibility that Nintendo will create a grand, new, massive, and completely fresh 3D Mario at a later date!

You guys all jump to conclusions too quickly. For goodness sake, we've only known about this game for three days. THREE DAYS! We can't judge how good or bad this game will be after only THREE DAYS. I think this game looks fantastic...yes, it wasn't what we were expecting, but it still looks REALLY good! As a sequel to 3D Land, it will most likely fix 3D Land's mistakes. 3D Land was fantastic, but it wasn't without its flaws. 3D World could and should easily fix those flaws, similar to how Galaxy 2 fixed Galaxy 1's flaws (except for the swimming, that still sucks).

Give the game a chance, people. You're all too demanding. I've learned to not get my hopes up too high. I kept my expectations fairly low this time around, so all of my expectations were exceeded, especially by Mario Kart 8...that blew me away. Give the game a chance. As I said, we've only known about this game for 3 days. We hardly know anything about it other than it exists and that it's a sequel to 3D Land and a spiritual 3D successor to Super Mario Bros. 2.

@hwrose379 You're also 100% right! Nintnedo fans are spoiled and hard to please. I was a little disappointed when I saw the game too. But when I watch some gameplay and the trailer again, I thought it looked great!

@SockoMario Right?!?! People seriously need to chill...I know some people that read my comment are going to tell ME to chill but it needs to be the other way around. I was trying to help people look on the bright side of things, because when you do, you can see that this title will definitely be vital in the Wii U's revival.

We're spoiled because we're not gushing over Nintendo's latest slew of lazy cut and past uninspired cash ins? I guess some Nintendo fans are eithe just blind or have weak expectations. 3d World looks like a blast, don't get me wrong but nintendo once again has played it safe and delieverd yet another generic looking mario that's reusing the same visual asthetics, this time from 3D land. Graphically it's pretty unimpressive and the worlds at least based on what has been shown aren't anything new.

So we're spoiled because some of us are getting tired of nintendo using the exact same character models, music, art direction and worlds from the last 4 or 5 Super mario games? I truly cherrish the days of 1,2,3 and World, where each title offered a truly unique experience and were different from each other in every single way imaginable. the Art direction, presentation, music, controls, the way mario moved & controlled in general, the SFX, practically EVERYTHING. all 4 titles have their own distinct flavor and neither of them are the same experience.

nowadays outside the galaxy games, it feels like mario's teathered to one single generic universe, with sprinkles of new elements thrown in to an all too familar romp in the mushroom kingdom just to make it 'enough' to warrant a sequal. I'm not spoiled at all, as an artist i just expect something more imaginative, bizzare, and daring that's all. I'm sure 3D world will be really fun, but it's still a bit dissapointing that nintendo hasn't really done anything new or raised the bar in terms of art direction, visuals, the works. That's all. it seems like another safe effort...Although, the stuff you pointed out does make 3D World seem more experimental, far more actually than 3D Land ever was.

And i'm so glad they threw in peach, toad and luigi as playable characters, the frog suit which hasn't made an appearance since 1990, and for NOT reusing the koopa kids again! That dragon worm boss makes me giddy like a sailor moon school girl. it does seem like the ultimate classic 3D mario experience if anything, and makes much more sense rather than 64, sunshine and the galaxy games which ditched little mario in favor of a health metre, tossed out the run button and made the stages far more exporation based. I guess, 3D land for better words is another nod to the classic Mario fans but in a 3D world.

Some of us just want to see the company we love so much make a game that looks like it has some oomph to it, especially on a new HD system. Most of what I am reading in the comments is that, like me, people think this game will be fun, but it looks like it lacks heart. It just looks like an uninspired cash in to get Wii Us flying off the shelves. I don't blame Nintendo for that. I want to see the Wii U become successful, but I also want to see games that push the system to its full potential. Hopefully we will see a 3D Mario that shows what the Wii U is capable of in gameplay and visuals. 3D World looks like a ton of fun and I will most likely play the heck out of it, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks lackluster compared to previous 3D Mario games.

This view does not make someone any less of a Nintendo fan than someone who thinks this game looks like the best game they have ever seen. You can still be a huge fan while calling Nintendo out on games like this where it looks like they clearly aren't putting their best effort forward. This game does look like it has some cool elements to it though, I give it that.

Obviously I'm excited for the game. Sure it's just a lot of recycled elements but so is a lot of the games coming out. The disappointment is that the presentation seems to be stuck in N64 territory. But I'm sure the next Zelda will be the ushering in of a next gen style presentation. Lets hope Metroid and other franchises can also make the transition.

@The_Joker Same here, bud. I think everyone's caught up with the feeling of initial disappointment from Nintendo saying "there will be a new 3D Mario at E3!" If they hadn't said /anything/, and we got this totally out of left field, I think a lot more people would be happier without any pre-determined expectations. I totally wasn't expecting this game and am eagerly awaiting it!

Looks like a unambitious filler mario title, one with a short development time, prolly to fill the void if the wii u's library. I'am sure it'll be fun but there's certainly another more ambitious title in development i'd imagine.

@Objection: You forget how many systems are bought for kids/families. All it will take is playing it at a friend's house, in a store, etc... And the first thing they'll do is go home and tell their parents. Given the option of a Nintendo system with Super Mario 3D World or the grim aisles of of shooters and action games devoted to other consoles and other won't be much of a decision for those parents to make.

@bahooney I totally agree with you & by the time of this games release I know that most who 'hated' on the game this E3 will be over their stupid 'anger' that this game isn't Super Mario Universe & instead just enjoy what is definitely going to be an amazingly awesome game!

Sorry NL but these first impressions suck All you do is talk crap about the demo, rather than talk about the controls, the cat suit, how multiplayer works (like what happens when someone gets too far off camera, or who can move the camera if anyone in multiplayer). Or how they've used the HD graphics to give new detail to the environment elements in the game. No talk about enemies at all? What about charging chuck & the others who are in 3D for the first time? What about the translucent pipes? Being able to see what happens when they pipe warp for the first time ever blew my mind personally. How it feels to run up walls, if its hard to do when the camera is side on instead of facing your back, especially in 4 player multiplayer. How the gamepad screen is used in multiplayer & singleplayer. Did you guys even use the finding hidden blocks ability of the gamepad screen? It really seems like you guys didn't even play all of the levels from the demo. Heck, it seems like you've given your first impressions solely based on only watching the first trailer. First impressions aren't for a massive monologue about the "wierd" games in the Super Mario franchise but rather for details about what was playable in the actual game. & from the "impressions" you've given its reads like you've already passed judgement on the game solely on what has been shown of the game so far, which is a mere five levels. Like literally, you go off on this rant based on 5 levels, comparing it to full games in the series with no clue how the other levels play or what they even look like. Just because Nintendo didn't want to show all their cards at E3 on this game doesn't mean the whole game isn't "different" in the way the other sequels were that you mentioned.

This is a really low quality article & I'm stunned that NL has lowered its standards to such a degree. I really hope this doesn't signify a change for the worse in the quality of articles on this website (which were remarkably high until this one). It was a simple matter of playing the game demo & writing about the various details & things shown off within the demo & you couldn't even do that. If a mainline Super Mario game can't get a proper non-judgemental first impression then I worry for the future quality of this website. For shame NL.

@WiiLovePeace- Wait, so because they didn't gush about a game that's not yet got them excited (they have time to improve of course) that makes this article low quality? Wow. Flippin' wow. I didn't know that was what differing opinions (oh yeah, and they've played this game and you haven't) equaled to today's NL members.@ACK You're not wrong in that, actually. It's not that I didn't know this but I did forget to what a large extent the main reason the Wii was so successful was all those casual audience/families buying the system. I do wonder if they'll do the same in as high a numbers though.

@Objection Did you even read my comment? If you're going to reply to me, please read my whole comment without skimming. I don't care if they "gush" about the game, I care about them detailing the demo from graphics, to sound, to the multiplayer & how the different characters play. Out of the 9 paragraphs of "impressions" the first 2 didn't even talk about SM3DW at all. They used a single sentence to mention the different play styles of the 4 characters. Heck the article talks more about every other Super Mario game instead of SM3DW itself. How can you not see that? From what's written in this article I have no reason to believe they played the demo at all. Also, judging a demo based on how it compares to full games as opposed to just talking about the demo itself is just stupid, imo. And that's exactly what this article does.

@Wiilovepeace It's called an intro, NL uses them all the time. It sets the tone and, in this case, brings to mind other elements that the writer can then reference without later passages losing pace. They get all the good things of the series referenced early so they can later avoid all the name drops, etc. of what they felt was missing.Is the article a bit brief? Sure, but so is the demo. As far as I've heard and watched, it's two levels. Is it a perfect breakdown? Subjective. On your last point, I can see what you mean about comparing to full games instead of its own merits but Super Mario 3D World started that. Look at its title, even. It's not going off its own merits to begin with. It wants to bring back the nostalgia of other games such as Super Mario World and SML 3D. Nintendo is doing that! It's one of the Mario series' selling points. The article is simply stating that they are relying too much on that instead of trying as much new stuff as they did in certain entries (Sunshine & Galaxy especially, but even NSMB2 looks more fresh to me than this game so far)-at this point that they can evaluate, which is the two level demo.

@Objection "...at this point that they can evaluate, which is the two level demo." See? If the article did its job you would know the demo had 5 levels in it (which also shows you didn't read my first comment fully, but anyway...). "Look at its title, even. It's not going off its own merits to begin with. It wants to bring back the nostalgia of other games such as Super Mario World and SML 3D." Its a name. It's a sequel to 'Super Mario 3D Land', that's what the game title means. Other than that the demo is 5 levels long & hence the article can't just straight out judge the game for being too nostalgic since the entire game doesn't exist yet. & for you to also say "NSMB2 looks more fresh to me than this game so far)-at this point that they can evaluate, which is the two level demo." just further proves my point. This article didn't correctly evaluate the demo & also you (& probably others) are already judging the games entire "freshness" from 2 levels you've seen. That's both wrong & sad.

If it's 5 levels, then I'll concede that point.
Nintendo has had their chance to show its world premiere and get us excited about it. If I (and it seems many others) aren't seeing "freshness," then Nintendo should have promoted it better (had a better trailer, more varied demo levels, etc.) Nintendo doesn't "owe" us anything, agreed, but if they want our purchase (I certainly don't owe them one) then they have to work for it.
I get what you're saying but if you don't want people to judge anything off of demos and trailers, you picked the wrong week to be interested in games.
edit: I'm not doing the game any favors. I don't care about it. I'll just wait until it comes out, and if it looks good then, I'll buy it. But I'm at the point where it feel likes "just another Mario" and as much as I enjoy the games, I don't financially support entertainment that feels like "just another."

@Objection also please do Super Mario 3D World & yourself a favour & watch footage of the 5 levels in the demo when you have time. There's lots of footage on youtube, though some of the videos' quality isn't that great.

Edit: That's too bad. You weren't even willing to watch a few minutes of footage on all 5 levels of the game but instead are choosing to outright "not care about the game" hence you really do come across as simply ignorant. But even so at least you're willing to buy the game if it's good enough come December, we'll see what the future holds for Mario then

How hard is that to grasp??Seeing a video btw of a trailer, with 720p quality at best is no proper way of evaluating the game's graphic fidelity, either.

Was I disappointed with the reveal? Sure, at first, letting my expectations run wild. However, after bringing myself back to reality, I could appreciate and understand the brillance of what's been done here. If any game is receive flak for being lazy, it should be NSMBU, as that was simply a placeholder for them to say, "Hey, we've got Mario at launch!"But even that game has some brilliantly devious level designs, and I'm sure the FULL 80+ LEVEL LUIGI DLC will well worth the 20 bones.

Also, single player appears to play more in line with the other 3D Mario greats. Watch the dev. interviews, people! Sheesh!

@WiiLovePeace
AMEN TO THAT! That's what I am trying to say. We don't know the true scope of this game. Until we know the full extent of its content, we can't judge it. And even from the levels we've seen, I really don't think Nintendo is going overboard with nostalgia like they did in NSMB2 and SM3DL. They seem to be moving forward to me. Let's just wait.

I'm just sad that we didn't actually get a 3D Mario Game like they promised- what we have here is another 3D-ified 2D Mario game. As fun as the 2D games are, there's just something that gets bland about racing to the flag in every level. What I was looking forward to was seeing the next spiritual sequel to Super Mario 64 and Sunshine, with the mission system and complex, well-designed worlds with multiple objectives to be explored. I just hope that we'll still get a game like that, a true 3D Mario title, and that nintendo isn't solely replacing them with the 2D titles with 3D controls.

Maybe the game doesn't get me as exciting as Galaxy did back in the days but on the other hand, it's far more interesting than a NSMBU-style game. I'd say it's somwhere in the middle, offering elements from both universes. And in the end, it's gonna be the greatest Multiplayer Jump&Run ever crafted =)

Looks a bit restrained in terms of new ideas, doesn't seem as impressive as Galaxy did a few years back, but hey, it's a Mario game, it'll have that certain standard of quality only found in Nintendo games.

I can't be too critical towards this game. I didn't expect a sequel to 3D Land on the big screen and also was a bit worried they might never bring multiplayer to a 3D Mario game.
From what i've seen so far it looks like a great evolution of 3D land. And that's maybe the freshest Mario thing they can do atm.
I just hope that unlike the original it gets a good variety of bosses.

Usually the 3D mario's are easy at the demo booths but hard to properly beat, Galaxy was proof of this too so I'm hoping theres a challenge to be had along side the perfect platforming controls Mario always brings. Something in the video which confuses me though is a grid like structure (world) which is being rotated, what is that cause to me it looks like a level editor?

@NintendoPro64 I agree entirely Once the game comes out I'm sure it'll prove its awesomeness ten fold, it definitely has the potential & all those who didn't like it when it was revealed will love it as they play it, I hope

I have no doubt this game will be awesome fun. It's a real looker too.

Still, I can't help but be disappointed at how conservative it looks so far. Every 3D Mario game has been wildly different from the last (aside from Galaxy 2, obviously), so Mario 3D World comes across as a bit of a bitter pill to swallow ATM. I think I'll be happier once Nintendo (hopefully) confirms the return of an orchestral score, as well as crazier levels that really burst with imagination. Also, I really hope the game has a lot more content than 3D Land - especially considering the 25g capacity of the Wii U discs.

Two issues.. Nintendo seems to believe the only way to success is copying the games 3DS has. Tired of the exact same games. It needs to stop! Second, this game and a majority shown by Nintendo doesn't justify a $60 price point. I don't care how good the gameplay is, the content is NOT worth this price point!

I have a feeling that a lot of people's tunes will change by this holiday. We have no idea what this game could have in store. And I think the masses are gonna like it a lot more than a lot of you think. I doubt they're gonna nitpick tiny features and compare it to every Mario game released before. We're just a minority, and a finicky one at that.

The straw man, "This is a sequel and it should be super-weird like other sequels" is easy to knock down and sounds dramatic as an argument. Only at the end of this article is the real issue raised about the games looking and feeling the same and getting tired, but I hope and think it actually is the "first level blues".

I haven't played it, but I have watched the demo levels played from beginning to end on other sites with the different players and I thought it was pretty inventive. I liked the transparent tubes and the pirhanna plants you can carry and Peach was way cool. Seeing these characters act the way they do is fresh and the first time it has happened in 20 years and I loved seeing Peach get the fireball which has never happened.

On top of this the four player mayhem looks to work FAR better than in the "New" games because there is more room. I'm personally VERY excited about it after seeing more of it. This game will sell well and hopefully introduce that 10 million people who bought New Super Mario Bros. games but not the Galaxy games to 3D Mario play which is important, IMO.

All that said, articles like this are important. Nintendo needs to know that we want a refreshed take on the series and we aren't so averse to dramatic changes. Super Mario Bros. 2 is the favorite for many a fan, for instance. Miyamoto's instinct was right to give us that change.

Hopefully, Nintendo proves this article wrong and the later stages of this game get radical and different. At least we won't be saving Princess Peach again!

@Ren Visuals are updated. maybe you watched a low quality stream. In person the game is beautiful. The textures are crisp, the colors pop. It looks like an animated painting... The texture work makes most things look like its made out of clay. It really is something to see in person.

"if they really went for it 100% they'd have actually put full 3D detailed backgrounds in there too, that went off into the distance,"

@Kirk And how do you know that isn't in the game. We have only see what, 3 levels? People need to relax and let the game be released. Complaining isn't going to change anything, enjoy it for what is. The director thinks this game is the culmination of all the 3D Mario games he did (64, Galaxy 1, Galaxy 2, 3D Land)

He also said this is his most creative game yet, which would be mind blowing because he made the 4 best Mario games.... A journalist asked him if they would have orchestra music again, he laughed, smiled gave a quick nod and a wink. The game sounds like it has some really great moments in it if EAD Tokyo thinks its the best Mario game to date..... I mean do we really have any reason to doubt them? Their track record looks pretty impressive to me (Galaxy 1/2/3D Land, Mario 64)

@Kirk The dev confirmed you can play the game "classic 3D Mario style" if you wish to.. I tend to believe him because, well he's the one making the game... I think you have him confused. He first discussed that you can "move" the camera via the gyro.. Then he mentioned that you can switch the camera to classic mode. At that time the camera switched to a Mario chase cam and followed him for a few seconds, looked like the Galaxy style camera to me.

You do know both Galaxy games have a side view camera a large part of the time that wasn't moveable at all, right? Lots of 2D only levels, so we should expect those type of levels in his 3D Mario games.

@strongest_link The fixed camera is optional in singleplayer. Its only manditory in multiplayer.

I wonder what Nintendo thinks of all these people having a meltdown... Here they make an awesome game that they spent 3 years making, and they are sooooooo excited to show it off to Mario fans, and after it shows, they go to the internet to read what their fans think, and boom 10's of thousands of so called "fans" are trashing the game.... I wonder what it must feel like to be Koichi Hayashida. Here he says he made a game that is a "culmination" of all past Mario games, and he feels its the most creative one he has made, and all he sees on the internet is a bunch of hate from people who haven't even seen this game in person, let alone had a chance to play it.

We've seen five levels and it's pretty clear at this point they have not done this.

It would be a very bizarre coincidence if all the other levels in the game have huge landscapes as part of them yet every single level in the demo doesn't.

Don't you think?

Also, Super Mario 3D Land gives a pretty good indication of what the backgrounds in this game are likely to be like.

Sure, they'll no doubt put a few more details in the backgrounds of the Wii U version and it will all be in glorious 3D but unless they add far far more geometry into the backgrounds of the levels between now and launch, which is possible but I doubt it, I don't think we're going to get what I've suggested.

Look, I think the game is going to be great but I'm just saying, it would have blown more people away with the kind of stuff I'm suggesting they could have added to really give it that sense of scale and awe.

Yes, I'm sure you can change the view to a more Galaxy style, based on what the developer said and one particular gameplay video I watched, but it's abundantly clear the majority of the time the camera is going to be set to the more Super Mario 3D Land view by default.

If you can change it to the more Galaxy view and keep it locked to use that permanently in any levels that have the more open design then that's awesome for those people who wish to do that.

It will also stop people complaining that it isn't the next "Galaxy" when for all intents and purposes it is other than the fact you can't run around levels that have some kind of gravity pulling you into them but since this game isn't in space that seems perfectly fair to me.

Personally, I'd still stick with the more Super Mario 3D Land view anyway.

Either way I still think the game looks great and only thing I think it really needs to blow most people away is that sense of proper scale and depth in the levels, where the world goes on far beyond just the little assault course type areas you're able to actually jump around in.

I've VERY surprised at the negativity surrounding this game. I see a LOT of innovation here. The cat power-up is unlike any that we've seen before. It's fast, fluid and looks like it may have some combo type skills that introduces a bit of style to how you play with that power up. Also, no one is mentioning the whole "tossing" concept. This, to me is huge! Tossing a snowball from one player to another across the screen and then at an enemy, again, is huge! Imagine the gameplay mechanics this opens up? Why aren't any of these "journalists" picking this stuff up? This is new stuff! And lastly, this 3D perspective was last seen on a portable... once... How is it a "re-run"? And how can we talk about getting excited about Battlefield 4, Halo 5, Madden 25 (?!) and beat Marioland 3D up for appearing for the 2nd time, WITH new additions? Some people are just jaded know-it-alls...

omg this looks so great, why would there be anything negative to say, this is the reason we play the wii u right? Nintendo first party. You cannot get any better, I have been on this site complaining about "no games" but this here "is what I wanted"

@iMii I like the off-tv but it can not be the only use for the gamepad. It is certainly a nice feature when you share the TV but don't forget that you usually buy a home console to play it in a big screen.

I like the gamepad and even if it is only used to have a map and no hud in the TV , satisfies me enough butI want to see innovative ways to use it, especially in games coming from Nintendo. If they don't achieve this the WiiU will struggle like the GC. They need a big selling point.

Now that i got to play the game myself(Thank you BestBuy) I want to say what i thought about the game my self.when i saw the trailer i was instantly jumping for Joy Cause I love 3D Land a lot considering that the game was RUSHED! When i beat 3D Land I Was left with the felling that this could be the next mario Game in the future. And in The latest Nintendo direct i was right. For one you guys need to stop complaing that about 2 things this isn't mario galaxy 3 or that it is a sequel to 3d Land. I have to say the 4 player aspect of this game is most impressive part of the game all with different abilites wich considering that last time we got that in a mario platformer was super Luigi U. next the levels themselves that are nit as massive compared to 64 or Galaxy but if you had the time to play the levels more you be surprised by how many different paths their are. and last the new stuff in this game that your to blinded by your disappointment to see. A Dinasour to ride wich actually get really chaotic when you play it with more people.The new vehicle in that shoe you have to drive around in. The different abilites the characters have in this game that make them different compared to NSMBU.And finaly the new Cat Powerup that is awesome since for once its not flight related with their combos to string.I really like what this game is doing and who knows if they include Yoshi then this could be the best mario platformer.